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A Realistic Beginner’s Guide: Starting a Digital Marketing Agency

  • Writer: DM Monticello
    DM Monticello
  • Jul 3
  • 7 min read


If you’ve ever thought about launching a digital marketing agency but held back because you “don’t have experience,” you’re not alone—and you’re not out of options.

The truth is, many of today’s most successful digital marketing agency founders started with no formal background. No marketing degree. No portfolio. No past clients. Just a drive to learn, take action, and solve problems for businesses that desperately need help online.

This guide shows you exactly how to start a digital marketing agency with no experience—step by step. You'll learn how to build skills, land clients, deliver real results, and scale with smart tools and virtual support.

Let’s break the myth that you need credentials to succeed—and show you how to build a thriving agency from the ground up.



Why You Don’t Need Experience to Start a Digital Marketing Agency

Digital Marketing Is Learnable and In-Demand

Digital marketing is not gatekept by certifications or degrees. You can learn SEO, social media, email campaigns, and paid ads through free resources, online courses, and real-world practice. In fact, platforms like Google and HubSpot offer free training programs designed for beginners.

Meanwhile, thousands of businesses—from startups to local shops—are desperate for digital help. They don’t care where you studied. They care about results. That opens the door for you to step in with confidence and hustle.

Check out how to identify high-value talent for any business to understand why digital marketing agencies are always in demand.


You Can Earn While You Learn

Unlike traditional education paths, you can start earning while you're still learning. For example:

  • Offer discounted or trial services

  • Do free work for testimonials

  • Partner with other freelancers for early projects

Want help managing tasks as you learn? Read how to manage virtual assistants to offload time-consuming admin work right away.


Tools and Support Can Boost Your Delivery

You don’t have to be an expert at everything. Tools like Canva, Google Ads, Mailchimp, and Ahrefs do a lot of the heavy lifting. And when you’re ready to scale, virtual assistants can help you manage research, content, reporting, and outreach.



Step 1 – Learn the Basics (Without Going Back to School)

Use Free and Affordable Courses

You don’t need to enroll in a college program. Here are some beginner-friendly resources:

  • Google Digital Garage – Fundamentals of digital marketing

  • HubSpot Academy – Social media, email, content strategy

  • Coursera & Udemy – Low-cost, high-quality marketing courses

  • YouTube Channels – Real-time walkthroughs from industry pros

Structure your learning around 30–60 minutes a day and focus on doing—not just watching.


Choose One Core Skill First

Don’t try to learn everything at once. Instead, go deep on one high-value skill such as:

  • SEO

  • Facebook/Instagram Ads

  • Email marketing

  • Social media management

Start small and layer new skills over time. Want to fast-track? See how to run SEO accurately to get client-ready even as a beginner.


Practice on Real Accounts

Don’t wait for paid clients. Practice by:

  • Running your own blog or Instagram

  • Helping a friend’s small business

  • Reaching out to nonprofits or startups for trial work

Use this work as the start of your portfolio and testimonials.



Step 2 – Pick a Profitable Niche and Service Offering

Choose a Niche Based on Opportunity

Instead of “everyone,” pick one type of client to serve. Examples:

  • Real estate agents

  • Fitness coaches

  • E-commerce brands

  • Local service businesses (e.g., dentists, landscapers)

A niche gives you focus and makes marketing easier. Learn how to align niches with growth goals in your ultimate guide to growth strategy.


Start with 1–2 Services

To keep things manageable early on, offer just one or two services such as:

  • Social media content

  • Google Ads setup

  • SEO audits

  • Email newsletters

Don’t worry if you’re not a full-service agency yet. Many successful agencies started as solo specialists and expanded later.


Validate Your Offer

Before you invest too much time or money, confirm people actually want your service. Try:

  • Posting offers in Facebook groups or Reddit

  • Talking to small business owners directly

  • Asking your network what digital tasks they’d pay to outsource

Read how to boost outbound sales with virtual assistants to systemize your outreach process.



Step 3 – Set Up Your Digital Agency Foundation

Register Your Business

Choose a name that’s simple, available, and brandable. Then:

  • Register an LLC or sole proprietorship (depending on your region)

  • Buy your domain

  • Secure social handles (LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)

If you need help organizing your business backend, check out how to streamline back-office operations.


Build a Simple Brand Presence

You don’t need a flashy website right away. But you should have:

  • A basic landing page (with your offer and contact form)

  • A logo and consistent color scheme (Canva is great for this)

  • A few branded social media posts to show credibility

Even a one-page website can convert if it's focused and clear. Want help building yours? Review how to build a back office team that drives growth for delegation tips.


Set Up Admin Tools

You’ll also want:

  • Google Workspace or ProtonMail for email

  • Wave or PayPal for invoicing

  • ClickUp or Trello for task management

These tools help you stay organized and look professional from day one. You can also use VAs to handle setup and admin tasks as you grow.



Step 4 – Get Your First Clients Without a Portfolio

Offer Free or Discounted Work for Testimonials

To overcome the “no experience” hurdle, offer your first few clients:

  • A free one-week trial

  • A discounted first-month campaign

  • A small deliverable like an SEO audit or Instagram content calendar

In exchange, request a testimonial and permission to showcase results. Even two or three testimonials can build your credibility.

Use this SOP guide to document and repeat your early client onboarding process efficiently.


Use LinkedIn, Upwork, and Referrals

You don’t need a huge network. Start with:

  • Posting value-rich content on LinkedIn

  • Searching for digital marketing gigs on Upwork and Fiverr

  • Asking friends, family, or former coworkers for referrals

Be honest: let them know you’re launching and looking to gain experience while offering real value. Structure outreach using tips from how to use a virtual assistant to maximize your productivity.


Let Virtual Assistants Handle Outreach

Manual outreach takes time. With a trained VA, you can:

  • Build a lead list

  • Send custom cold emails

  • Manage replies and follow-ups

This keeps your pipeline active while you focus on sales calls. See how to hire a VA for startups for help delegating this early.



Step 5 – Deliver Real Results (Even as a Beginner)

Focus on Metrics That Matter

Business owners care about outcomes, not buzzwords. Track and report:

  • Website traffic

  • Lead form submissions

  • Email open and click rates

  • Ad cost per conversion

  • Organic keyword rankings

You can start small and still make a big impact. Use simple reporting tools like Google Analytics, Google Looker Studio, and Meta Ads Manager.

Explore top data analytics tools to automate your reports.


Use Templates and Tools

You don’t have to create everything from scratch. Speed up delivery with:

  • Canva templates for social posts

  • Swipe copy for emails and landing pages

  • Trello boards for content calendars

  • Google Docs for SOPs and client deliverables

You can hire virtual assistants to build and manage templates so you're not bogged down in every task.


Communicate Clearly and Regularly

Clients want to know what’s happening. Set a recurring weekly rhythm:

  • Email or Slack update every Monday

  • Monthly performance report

  • End-of-month strategy review

You can delegate all of this to a trained OpsArmy virtual assistant.



Step 6 – Build Systems to Scale Your Agency

Document Everything You Do

Start creating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for every repeatable task:

  • Client onboarding

  • Campaign setup

  • Weekly reporting

  • Invoice tracking

This allows you to delegate to virtual assistants and deliver consistent service.


Use Automations and Scheduling Tools

Use free or low-cost tools to automate your work:

  • Zapier to connect apps (e.g., form > email > Trello)

  • Calendly to book calls

  • Later, Buffer, or Metricool to schedule social media posts

  • Mailchimp or ConvertKit for email drip campaigns

These tools save time and let you scale without more staff. Learn more in how tools assist in making virtual support easier.


Build a Virtual Team

Hiring full-time employees too early can sink a new agency. Instead, work with vetted virtual assistants from OpsArmy:

  • Content creation

  • CRM updates

  • Client support

  • Data entry and reporting

This gives you flexibility without the overhead.



Common Fears (And Why They Shouldn’t Stop You)

“What If I Don’t Get Results?”

Start with simple goals and set expectations with your first few clients. Track small wins (like increased engagement or better open rates). Build momentum with case studies over time.

Need help explaining results? Use marketing project checklists for virtual teams to track performance transparently.


“I’m Not Good at Sales.”

Sales is just helping people solve problems. Build trust by showing examples, asking good questions, and providing helpful advice—even before money changes hands.

Let VAs handle appointment booking so you can focus on client conversations.


“I Don’t Have Time or Money.”

You don’t need either in large amounts to get started. Use weekends or evenings. Focus on free outreach. Use trial clients. And when ready, delegate $10/hour tasks to a trained assistant.

Explore cost-effective strategies for business growth for bootstrapped agency owners.



Final Thoughts: You Can Start with No Experience and Still Succeed

Starting a digital marketing agency with no experience is not only possible—it’s being done every day.

The key is to:

  • Start small with one skill and one offer

  • Practice daily and apply what you learn

  • Offer real value, not just hype

  • Systemize your delivery from the beginning

  • Use virtual support to scale without burning out

It’s okay to start as a one-person team. Just don’t try to do everything alone. Focus on solving problems, showing up consistently, and building processes.

The rest—clients, case studies, confidence—will follow.



How OpsArmy Helps First-Time Founders Build Digital Marketing Agencies

OpsArmy helps beginner agency founders launch and grow faster by providing: ✅ Pre-vetted virtual assistants trained in digital marketing tasks ✅ Support for SEO, social media, outreach, reporting, and admin ✅ Flexible monthly plans that scale with your business

If you're starting an agency and want to skip the guesswork—OpsArmy has your back.



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